High-profile individuals help raise Nepal funds
Many high-profile individuals have joined the fund-raising efforts for Nepal in addition to those launched by many agencies, including the government's Dhamrongtham Centres nationwide.
The “Thai heart [support] to Nepal” campaign televised on Channel 5 raised Bt48 million on Monday night alone, PM’s Office deputy spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.
In response to National Reform Council president Thienchay Kirananda’s call for contributions, all council members agreed to have Bt2,000 of their salary put towards the effort, while female NRC members proposed that clothes and basic necessities be donated for affected women too. The money will be collected by the NRC secretariat before it is passed on to the Thai Red Cross Society.
On Monday, Sansern said Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha had contributed Bt100,000 towards the cause and called on Thais to make donations via the PM’s Office Krungthai Bank savings account No 067-0-10330-6.
Package tours cancelled
Meanwhile, at least 11 travel companies have cancelled their trips to Nepal since Saturday’s devastating earthquake, according to the Tourism Ministry, which is taking steps to aid those already there.
A ministry source said yesterday that more than a 1,000 people who already bought packages have been told to opt for alternative destinations such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore or get a refund if they don’t want to travel.
Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said at least two groups of Thai package tourists are still in Nepal, adding that Mitr Maitree Tour’s 34 travellers and Kasem TPM Group’s 30 people are in a safe place.
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